STUART — A proposal to fill in a man-made lagoon and reduce wetland buffers to set the stage for the development of a luxury recreational vehicle park on Kanner Highway was rejected Tuesday by the Martin County Commission.
The property owner’s proposal did not meet the county’s requirements for a waiver of the county’s wetland regulations because he did not prove there was no other economically viable way to develop the 3.27-acre site, said Darryl DeLeeuw, the county’s environmental code compliance administrator.
The property owner also did not show that the proposal for the RV park had a minimum impact on wetlands, DeLeeuw said. In addition, the property owner did not provide a flexible and innovative design to minimize the impacts to the wetlands on the site, which overlooks the South Fork of the St. Lucie River.
Lost River Road Corp. proposed building a 21-lot recreational vehicle park with a clubhouse and a pool on east side of Kanner Highway between Lost River and Cove roads.
The RV park would be geared toward the multimillion-dollar vehicles sold by a dealer in Martin County, said Don Cuozzo, a land planner representing Lost River Road Corp.
Commissioner Doug Smith, who joined the unanimous vote to reject the proposal, said the RV park was at least the second proposal he’s seen for the property in his nearly 11 years on the commission.
A 71-room hotel was proposed in 2006, but fell by the wayside because the property owners determined it would not be feasible as a result of the recession, higher than originally anticipated construction costs and the development of two other hotels nearby, county records show.
“What would happen to the property, what would be something that’s useful if this is rejected?” Smith asked. “If we are to send someone away without an approval to do something and move forward, what then direction do we give them?”
Senior Assistant County Attorney Krista Storey said Lost River Road Corp. did not provide enough information to qualify for a wetland waiver.
Among the items not provided were a formal site plan showing the development footprint, including parking and drainage facilities, Storey said.
LOST RIVER LUXURY MOTOR COACH RESORT PROPOSAL
Location: Kanner Highway and the South Fork of the St. Lucie River, between Lost River and Cove roads
Site size: 3.27 acres, including filled in a .95-acre man-made lagoon
Proposal: 21 recreational vehicle lots, clubhouse, pool
Request: Reduce wetland buffer to 50 feet from 75 feet
Reason: Full buffer would preclude minimum reasonable economic use
Previous proposal for property: 71-unit Micro-Tel Hotel
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